The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi faced multiple counts of attempted murder, hate crime and terrorism charges - Cook County Sheriff’s Department via Chicago Sun Times screenshot

Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism

Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 27 -  United States court filings via WFSA 12 screenshot

Antifa Bomber Sentenced

• Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 27, from Irondale, Ala., was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for detonating a homemade explosive device outside the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in Montgomery.
• Calvert admitted to creating the explosive using nails and screws for shrapnel. He placed the device during the early morning hours, and no one was hurt.
• Calvert also placed political ideology stickers around the area, some including the phrase “Support your local antifa.” Read More

Tennessee Man Convicted for Conspiring to Murder FBI Employees

• Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tenn., was convicted of conspiring to murder FBI employees. He was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing a federal official by threat.
• Kelley developed a "kill list" targeting FBI agents involved in his January 6, 2021, Capitol breach investigation. Kelley distributed this list and videos of the FBI employees to a co-conspirator.
• Kelley's sentencing is set for May 7, 2025, where he faces up to life in prison. Read More

Hate Crime

Maurice Hopkins, 31 - via  WSPA 7 News screenshot

Man Threatens Pizza Shop Patrons

• Maurice Hopkins, 31, from North Carolina, was indicted for civil rights violations and firearms offenses after he allegedly threatened eight individuals with a firearm at Zambies Pizza in Charlotte.

• According to arrest warrants, Hopkins went into the store and started making racial comments to a group of Indian patrons. 

• If convicted, Hopkins faces up to 10 years in prison per civil rights charge and a mandatory minimum sentence for the firearms charge. Read More

Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Threats to Jewish Community

• John Reardon, 59, from Millis, Mass., pleaded guilty to charges involving threats against the local Jewish community.
• Reardon admitted to threatening to kill congregants and bomb synagogues, including Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro.
• In addition to the synagogue threats, Reardon made 98 harassing calls to the Israeli Consulate in Boston.
• Reardon could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for obstruction of religious beliefs by threat of force, among other charges. Read More

School Threats

Highland Park (Texas) High School - via Fox 4 News screenshot

Texas Student Arrested for Online Threat

• A student was arrested for making threats against Highland Park High School in Texas, via social media.

• The threats led to increased security measures at the school, including the use of metal detectors.

• The arrest came after an investigation that initially found the threat not to be credible, but precautionary measures remain in place. Read More

Indiana Student Arrested for Threats

• A seventh-grader at Noblesville East Middle School in Indiana was arrested for making a threat that led to the cancellation of classes across the school district.
• The threat was communicated via an anonymous video on social media targeting East Middle School.
• The student, who was not named, faces a low-level felony charge of intimidation. Read More

Foreign Influence Operations

 Google exhibit at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2024 in Shanghai, July 4, 2024 - CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Google Takes Down Chinese Influence Operation

• Google has taken down hundreds of news sites and domains linked to a Chinese influence operation known as "Operation Glassbridge." These sites were blocked from Google News due to violations of "deceptive behavior" and "editorial transparency" policies.

• The operation involved four companies creating inauthentic news sites to promote pro-China narratives globally.

• The content focused on topics like Beijing's territorial claims, Taiwan, the Xinjiang region, and criticism of the U.S. and other Western policies. The strategy aimed to present China in a favorable light and influence global opinion. Read More

California Man Sentenced for Acting as Illegal Chinese Agent

• John Chen, 71, of Los Angeles was sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent of China and for bribery. He attempted to bribe an IRS agent to target practitioners of Falun Gong in the U.S.

• The scheme was part of a broader PRC campaign to repress and harass Falun Gong practitioners, who the Chinese Government considers a threat.

• In addition to the prison term, Chen was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $50,000. Read More

QUOTABLE
“Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many.”

-- George Washington

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.